Not content with getting to the F.A. Cup Final and giving us another day out at Wembley, Cardiff City also seem hell-bent of giving it everything to try and snatch a play-off place but were denied a valuable win at Ipswich by a highly dubious goal for a 1-1 draw.
Ipswich have been formidable at home, they've collected the most points (46 including tonight) at Portman Road, only West Brom have netted more and they have the tightest defence (just 13 conceded on their own patch).
Cardiff, to nobody's surprise, made changes. McNaughton injured, Whittingham and Hasselbaink rested on the bench, Sinclair making way and Dave Jones opting for a rare 4-5-1 given his meagre striking resources saw Cardiff go with Enckleman, Blake-Johnson-Loovens-Capaldi, Ramsey-Rae-McPhail-Scimeca-Ledley, Thompson.
Just 250 Bluebirds made up the 20,311 crowd and they saw City under the cosh from the start before they settled but survive a major let-off as ex-City man Alan Lee fired wide as badly as Barnsley's Odejayi last weekend, the home side were then punished as City grabbed a 36th minute lead with great link up play between Ledley and Ramsey saw the latter feed the ball across goal where GAVIN RAE turned into an empty net.
The second period saw Cardiff under more pressure but rarely feeling threatened. Capaldi (for Whittingham) and Sinclair (for Scimeca) were taken off before the midway point of the second period but City were stunned by a controversial equaliser as 18 year old JORDAN RHODES received the ball standing 3 yards offside and City's defence stood still for it for his first ever goal. The ref was set to disallow but the linesman signalled it, the ball apparently hitting a City player on the way making him onside.
Cardiff became more disjointed late on as Joe Ledley limped out, Ramsey was left back (how many positions has he played?) and were under heavy bombardment. Whittingham missed by inches from 25 yards and City survived a disallowed goal for a tug on Loovens.
It extended City's unbeaten run to 9 but only saw City rise a spot to 11th. It's a perfectly acceptable result but leaves City 5 points from those elusive play-offs with 5 games to go.
Ipswich have been formidable at home, they've collected the most points (46 including tonight) at Portman Road, only West Brom have netted more and they have the tightest defence (just 13 conceded on their own patch).
Cardiff, to nobody's surprise, made changes. McNaughton injured, Whittingham and Hasselbaink rested on the bench, Sinclair making way and Dave Jones opting for a rare 4-5-1 given his meagre striking resources saw Cardiff go with Enckleman, Blake-Johnson-Loovens-Capaldi, Ramsey-Rae-McPhail-Scimeca-Ledley, Thompson.
Just 250 Bluebirds made up the 20,311 crowd and they saw City under the cosh from the start before they settled but survive a major let-off as ex-City man Alan Lee fired wide as badly as Barnsley's Odejayi last weekend, the home side were then punished as City grabbed a 36th minute lead with great link up play between Ledley and Ramsey saw the latter feed the ball across goal where GAVIN RAE turned into an empty net.
The second period saw Cardiff under more pressure but rarely feeling threatened. Capaldi (for Whittingham) and Sinclair (for Scimeca) were taken off before the midway point of the second period but City were stunned by a controversial equaliser as 18 year old JORDAN RHODES received the ball standing 3 yards offside and City's defence stood still for it for his first ever goal. The ref was set to disallow but the linesman signalled it, the ball apparently hitting a City player on the way making him onside.
Cardiff became more disjointed late on as Joe Ledley limped out, Ramsey was left back (how many positions has he played?) and were under heavy bombardment. Whittingham missed by inches from 25 yards and City survived a disallowed goal for a tug on Loovens.
It extended City's unbeaten run to 9 but only saw City rise a spot to 11th. It's a perfectly acceptable result but leaves City 5 points from those elusive play-offs with 5 games to go.
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